See You on the Lake
Wily Woody's winsome words of wisdom
Woody Cooper

There are many ways to spend spare time some walk, some run, some read some may even take a nap. I have done all of those things down through the years before I decided to try something different. I decided to think of as many things that I could that would help a person lead a better life if he followed them. Picking ten of my thoughts and grading myself on how well I followed them was a goal. Before I put them down for folks to read let me assure you that I could never live up to all that I am going to show you. It is hard enough to live with ten for a day much less a couple hundred maybe the Pope could but he would to dig. I am going to challenge you to pick out any ten of the subjects and try to live by them for a week. If you can it will make your world a better place for you.

When you ask for a helping hand be sure you have already used the two hanging on the end of your arms. Be sure to give as many hands as are given you. Beautiful lips speak only words of kindness. Lovely eyes see only the good in people. Pretty nose smells out the truth in life. Handsome ears hear only the music of goodness. A good man looks up to mankind and not down on brotherhood. A mans footsteps should walk the path of honor and never trod on another man's dreams. Learn to win with grace and lose with poise. Never congratulate a loser learn to console. If you know truth you don't have to learn to lie. Before you become a good leader you must be a good follower. Never reject those accept you. It is better to be respected than liked, never confuse the two.

Look for solutions not excuses. There is honor in building, shame in wrecking. Know the difference in being brave and being loud. Remember that half the people are not at all interested in your problems and the other half are glad you have them. Join and belong to a group for what you can give and not for what you can receive.

Every person is ignorant in some areas, accept yours or correct them. Be an authority only in emergencies or, when asked. There is an art in being positive, don't substitute the words "open minded" for "weak character". Never confuse independence with arrogance. A leader is paid to be decisive AND right. Can you be as industrious on the tasks that are distasteful to you as the ones you enjoy doing. Remember that the person who is happy all the time may be a nut. All of us are dependent on someone and it is not a sign of weakness.

Know your limits at all times ,if you are not satisfied with them, expand them. Getting off to a slow start does not mean the race is lost. A man who lowers his standards to be popular will be submerged in indecisiveness. Being of legal age is no assurance of automatic maturity. Treat ignorance as a plague and erase it. Prejudice is a tool used to guide the ignorant by the bigot. Never confuse self love for pride. Use authority wisely AND justly.-Authority must always be earned by apprenticeship. There is no glory in winning unfairly. A tall man should stoop to help the short unfortunates. An adult is a beacon that is always followed. A good mind must be adjusted to the correct speed of the company you are with.

Never confuse expert with extrovert. A big mouth and little mind are often on the same shoulders. Winning an argument might mean losing a friend. Knowledge is worthless unless intelligently applied. Existence is NOT living. A good man dies with a houseful of friends a bad man dies alone. Never serve your audience with words they cannot digest. A leaders words are digested a poor leaders are regurgitated. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Effort is an excellent beginning. Don't confuse goodness with unwanted charity. Don't knock what you can not better.

It takes a full lifetime to build a reputation don't let a careless moment wreck it. Morals are the stepping stones to happiness. A man must be at peace with himself before he can find peace with his fellowman. Respect is the cornerstone to happiness and love. A man can go through life without living. A cynic is often a chronic failure. Know the difference between love and passion.

The oil of knowledge can dispel the rust of prejudice. A coward of action is better than a brave man of inaction. The most GOD given asset is time, don't waste it. Marriage ruins many good friendships. Each privilege granted means a responsibility accepted. The luckiest people I know are the hardest working people I know, skill takes a lot of work out of labor. It costs very little extra to be polite Why is it easier to repeat the bad about a person than the good. The next time a person asks you "how are you" take thirty minutes and tell him. Know the difference between patience and laziness. Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way. Being popular is not necessarily the most aspect of living, a dog is very popular every few months and it only brings many small problems to her. I often wonder why color is so much more important in skin than in cloth. A good dose of humility cures a bad case of ego. It is amazing how gray hair and high moral go hand in hand.

The best way to straighten kids out is for parents to swap them for a couple days. Coaching football at a penitentiary would be ideal, no mad alumni, no irate parents, scouts looking for new talent in every town. Good advice is like medicine- you must take it before it does any good. Ever notice that being ugly and fat adds to a persons character. The man who does not take time time to visit is not living. Even those who believe want to live forever. Do morals become stronger or desires weaker. Don't do everything that you are told to do because someone is sure to tell you to go to hell someday. Beauty is only skin deep, ugly goes all the way to the bone. A good athlete learns the difference between pain and injury-saying, yes is easier because you don't have to explain why not. The person who has her halo screwed on too tight may have head aches. Life is a game, play by the rules or you will be penalized.

Buckle Up, Drive With Care, Put On A Life Jacket And I'll See You On The Lake.